Method and system for displaying data on a telecommunication terminal

ABSTRACT

In the English translation document, please add the paragraph at page 22 line 1, after the newly added ABSTRACT section heading, as follows: The invention relates to a method for displaying data on a telecommunications terminal, whereby said terminal is used to establish a voice connection with a partner via a communications network at least over certain routes, using packet-oriented, connectionless data transmission. According to the invention, after a signalling step for establishing a connection from the telecommunications terminal to the partner, information relating to the data to be displayed is transmitted by said partner to the telecommunications terminal via the communications network, or the transmission of said information to the telecommunications terminal is initiated by the partner. The received information is accepted and evaluated by the telecommunications terminal and the data is optionally loaded onto the telecommunications terminal and is output using at least one display element. The invention also relates to a corresponding system.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the US National Stage of International ApplicationNo. PCT/EP02/14473 filed Dec. 18, 2002 and claims the benefit thereof.The International Application claims the benefit of German applicationNo. 10200295.9 filed Jan. 7, 2002, both of the applications areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for displaying data on atelecommunications terminal, whereby the telecommunications terminal canbe used to establish a voice connection with a partner via acommunications network at least over certain routes using apacket-oriented, connectionless data transmission.

The invention also relates to a system for displaying data on atelecommunications terminal, with which the telecommunications terminalis set up to establish a voice connection with a partner via acommunications network at least over certain routes using apacket-oriented, connectionless data transmission.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Many users are familiar with the acoustic menu guide from conventionaltelephony. When making a call to a call center, hotlines, exchanges,etc., callers are frequently not connected directly to a partnerinitially, instead various menu points are specified acoustically, eachwith a number, and callers press the corresponding number either toreach a further sub-point or the required partner.

The disadvantages of this menu guide are adequately known. In particularwhen there is a plurality of menu points or interlaced menus, it isoften difficult for users to discern the corresponding menu point andthey have to listen to the menu again, thereby wasting time and money.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is therefore one object of the invention to eliminate suchdisadvantages and configure such a menu guide in a manner that issignificantly more user-friendly and simple for users of data-basedtelecommunications terminals.

This object is achieved with a method as mentioned above in thataccording to the invention after a signaling step for establishing aconnection from the telecommunications terminal to the partner,information relating to the data to be displayed is transmitted by saidpartner to the telecommunications terminal via the communicationsnetwork or the transmission of said information to thetelecommunications terminal is initiated by the partner. The receivedinformation is accepted and evaluated by the telecommunications terminaland the data is optionally loaded onto the telecommunications terminaland is output using at least one display element.

In this way data, which for example contains the menu guide in graphicform, can be transferred to the telecommunications terminal anddisplayed there, so that it can be easily read by users and is opticallyavailable for a relatively long period, so that users can make theirselection in a significantly easier manner.

The invention however proves to be advantageous not only for use inconjunction with the menu guide referred to, as will be examined in moredetail below.

To use the invention in conjunction with a menu guide as referred toabove, it is necessary for the information to be transmitted directlyafter the signaling step for establishing a connection and before aconnection is established.

It can however be expedient for the information to be transmitted aftera connection has been established. This is particularly

appropriate, when information is to be transmitted perhaps as anaccompaniment to a telephone call and then displayed to the user ontheir telecommunications terminal. In principle provision can also bemade thereby for advertising information for example to be transmittedto the user.

Naturally provision can also be made thereby for information to betransmitted on the one hand before a connection is established and thenfor a further transmission of information to take place after aconnection is established.

There are various options for transmitting the data to the callingtelecommunications terminal and in this context it is also relevant howthe information being transmitted to the telecommunications terminal isconfigured.

In one specific embodiment for example the information contains at leastthe data to be displayed, i.e. the data from the partner or anotherstation set up for this purpose is transmitted in essentially the samemanner to the calling telecommunications terminal.

However the information can also contain a reference to a data server,from which the data can be transmitted to the telecommunicationsterminal. The options thereby exist in principle for establishing aconnection with the telecommunications terminal to the data server andloading the corresponding data but it is also possible for only oneconnection to be established, which is then kept open, and the data isthen sent from the data server to the telecommunications terminal. Theconnection is then generally established automatically with thetelecommunications terminal after receipt of the reference.

Regardless of whether the information already contains the data to bedisplayed or only for example a reference to where the data is located,it can be favorable for the information to be sent directly from thepartner to the telecommunications terminal. In such a case thecorrespondingly set up partner operates as the “data server”, i.e. it iscorrespondingly equipped on the one hand to have available theinformation and/or data and on the other hand also to transmit (it to acalling terminal.

In a different embodiment of the invention, the partner prompts a dataserver associated with it to transmit the information to thetelecommunications terminal. In this case the partner only has to be setup to transmit corresponding signals to a data server, so that said dataserver then forwards the information to the calling telecommunicationsterminal and can therefore be configured in a correspondingly simplermanner. On the other hand of course at least one further data server isnecessary for this but this can then also be used for a plurality ofpartners. Naturally such a solution is also generally more flexible, aswhen there is one data server for a plurality of partners, in the caseof any changes the data only has to be changed on one device, namely thedata server, and not at every partner.

Generally a connection is established to the data server or partner bythe calling telecommunications terminal with a program element fordisplaying data and the information is transmitted to thetelecommunications terminal and displayed on this via said connection.

An HTML browser is used as the program element for example.

In principle the program element for displaying data can be configuredseparately from a program element for establishing a data-based voiceconnection but it is especially advantageous for the two programelements to be configured as a single program.

It is especially favorable for the data to be available in the form ofat least one file created using a markup language. When using data insuch a form, it is also possible in addition to the graphic displays ofthe data for said data to allow actions on the part of the user of thetelecommunications terminal. For example it is possible for thedisplayed data, perhaps in the form of an HTML page, to offer furtherlinks, which the user can then dial up and to which said user can thenbe connected.

Staying with the example of the menu guide, it is also possible for theindividual menu points to represent links or references, which eithertake the user to a specific internet page for orders, supply furtherinformation about a product or which, after dialing, establish aconnection to a specific extension link for example in the case of apartner configured as a private branch exchange.

In one specific embodiment of the invention in the context ofestablishing a connection between the telecommunications terminal andthe partner, call control messages are exchanged, whereby the callcontrol messages are used a) in some instances on the telecommunicationsterminal to start the program element for displaying data, b) toinitiate establishment of a connection to the data server or partner andc) to keep open the data connection from the data server or the partnerfor the purpose of data transmission from the data server to thetelecommunications terminal. The program element for displaying isthereby only started, if it has not yet

been started. If for example the program element for displaying and theprogram element for establishing a call are integrated in a sharedprogram, this is of course no longer necessary.

H.323 signaling is used for example to establish a connection.

In the context of the call control messages for example a capability setis agreed between the telecommunications terminal and the partner,whereby the capability set is then extended to include an HTMLcapability for example.

The two terminals can be informed via these capability sets of theoptions offered by the partner, for example whether it offers a programelement for displaying data. The HTML capability extension means that adata connection established on the part of the calling terminal or thedata channel for transferring data from the data server or the partneris kept open, so that the data can be transmitted from the dataserver/partner to the telecommunications terminal and data cannot onlybe loaded with the telecommunications terminal running the programelement, perhaps the HTML browser.

In another variant of the invention, SIP signaling is used to establisha connection. As with the procedure described above relating to callcontrol messages in conjunction with H.323 signaling, SIP messages, forexample the optional “Call Info” field, can be used correspondingly, sothat the functionality described above is essentially available.

The invention is also achieved with a system as mentioned above in thataccording to the invention the partner is set up to send informationrelating to the data to be displayed to the telecommunications terminalvia the communications network or to

initiate the transmission of this information, and thetelecommunications terminal is set up to accept and analyze theinformation, optionally load the data and display it using at least onedisplay element.

Advantageous embodiments of this system have already been examined inmore detail in conjunction with the inventive method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to thedrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a representation of the principles of a telecommunicationsnetwork with connected terminals in conjunction with the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a further telecommunications network,

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary inventive signaling operation and

FIG. 4 shows an example of the structure of an HTML page displayed at acalling terminal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a telecommunications terminal TKA, which can be connectedvia a communications network IPN to a partner GEG for example for thepurpose of a voice connection. The first telecommunications terminal TKAis a terminal, which is set up for the packet-oriented, connectionlesstransmission of data via a corresponding telecommunications network IPN.For example this data transmission takes place using the known IPprotocol (Internet Protocol). With this layer 3 protocol data packetsare transported from a sender via a plurality of networks to arecipient, whereby transmission is packet-oriented, connectionless andnot guaranteed.

The data packets (also referred to as datagrams) are transported by theIP protocol as mutually independent data packets (even when the sendersand recipients are identical).

With a correspondingly set up—preferably by means of software—terminalTKA it is now also possible to set up voice connections via thispacket-oriented, connectionless data transmission, for example by meansof VoIP (Voice over IP), with which the IP protocol is also used inparticular for voice transmission.

VoIP is defined by the ITU standard H.323, which represents an extensionof the standard H.320 for videoconferences via ISDN. H.323 includesdata-packet-switched networks in this definition. Based on the realtimetransport protocol RTP, H.323 can also be used for video transmissionsvia the internet.

H.323 is an international ITU standard for voice, data and videocommunications via packet-oriented networks, which defines the specificcapabilities of terminals in the IP environment. H.323 forms the basisfor VoIP and was developed for the transmission of multimediaapplications. This standard is used to define realtime communications inLANs, which cannot offer guaranteed quality of service. The H.323standard comprises a series of protocols for signaling, for exchangingterminal functionalities, for connection control, for exchanging statusinformation and for data flow control. The multimedia standardrecognizes three different signaling functions between the H.245 controlchannel, the Q.931 signaling channel and the RAS (Registration,Admission and Status) channel. Communications itself, i.e. voice,operates directly from communications end-point to communicationsend-point, whereby certain tasks are assigned to what is known as agatekeeper, such as the ‘admission control’ referred to, and ‘addresstranslation’, which we will not look at in any more detail here.

Also known is the Session Initiation Protocol SIP, which is a standardproposed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for thetransmission of realtime data via packet-based networks. The SIPprotocol is functionally comparable to the H.323 protocol and can setup, modify and terminate interactive communications services. SIPinformation can be transported via TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)or UDP (User Datagram Protocol). SIP has an open, internet-basedstructure and allows CLASS (Custom Local Area Signaling Service)features, such as caller ID or call forwarding in IP-based networks. SIPis responsible for call signaling, user location and registration.Quality of service, directory access and session procedures are dealtwith by other protocols. Communications itself, i.e. voice, operatesdirectly from communications end-point to communications end-point,whereby certain tasks are assigned to what is known as a SIP proxy, suchas location of the called user.

A connection is now established with the terminal TKA via thetelecommunications network IPN, for example the internet, to a partnerGEG, which is also linked to the communications network IPN, for exampledirectly or via other networks. The terminal TKA is a specific “internettelephone” for example or a personal computer, which is set up withcorresponding software for internet telephony (VoIP). The terminal TKAalso has display elements BRO for displaying data, which is eitherloaded by the terminal TKA via the network or sent via the network IPNto the terminal. The display element BRO (FIG. 3) is what is known as abrowser for example, i.e. software set up correspondingly to displaysuch data, whereby said data is then preferably available in what isknown as markup language, for example HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)or XML (Extended Markup Language). In the context of the invention it isfavorable, if the display element BRO is also integrated in thetelephone software but the display element and telephone software canalso be completely separate.

The partner GEG is also an IP-based terminal for the purposes ofsimplicity in this representation but this does not have to be the case,as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2.

With reference to FIG. 3 the inventive sequence is now as follows forestablishing a connection from the terminal TKA to the partner GEG.

With a signaling client TCL as a component of the telecommunicationsterminal TKA in a first stage (1) the signaling step for establishing aconnection is first executed with a corresponding client GCL of thepartner GEG. The two clients TCL, GCL thereby use for example the H.323protocol mentioned above or the SIP protocol but other protocols arealso conceivable and it is of course also possible for each of theclients to use a different protocol, whereby in this latter casecorresponding mediation functions such as gateways have of course to beprovided as protocol translators.

Control messages are exchanged in the context of establishing aconnection between the clients TCL, GCL, therefore when H.323 signalingis used, H.245 messages are exchanged via a control channel (see e.g.ITU-T H.245). In the context of said control

messages call control messages are also exchanged, in other wordscapability sets are agreed between the two clients, with whichservice-independent functions are provided, from which various servicescan be derived. Such a standardized capability set is now for exampleextended to include an HTML capability, which makes it possible totransmit HTML pages for example to the terminal TKA establishing thecall signaling and to display them there, as described in more detailbelow.

In stage (2) the client TCL now uses such a capability set to indicatein the context of a control message that it is able to receive HTMLpages and to use a corresponding browser element to display what isconfirmed in stage (3) by means of a corresponding acknowledge messageon the part of the client GCL, whereupon the browser BRO is started bythe client TCL of the partner TKA (4). In principle it is also possiblefor the browser BRO to be a component of the client software TCL, sothat it is no longer necessary to start the browser BRO separately.

The client GCL of the called partner GEG now uses push technology instage (5) to prompt a server PSE associated with it to transmitinformation, for example in the form of HTML pages, to the browser BROof the calling terminal TKA.

In stage (6) successful channel set-up for the RTP voice connection isconfirmed between the communications end-points using the H.245 callcontrol message “openLogicalChannelAck”.

Content perhaps in the form of HTML pages is thereby transmitted via anHTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) connection initially established fromthe browser BRO to the push server PSE, which is no longer closed by thepush server PSE, by this to the partner TKA and displayed there with thebrowser BRO (7).

Finally then a further voice connection generally takes place betweenthe clients TCL and GCL, for example using the RTP protocol (8) or theSIP protocol.

For the sake of completeness in FIG. 3 the call feature server CFS isshown as part of an H.323 gatekeeper, which is responsible for callsignaling (H.225) tasks. However this server is a specific solution,which is neither necessary for the operation of the invention nor inprinciple necessary at all and should therefore not restrict theinvention in any manner.

This is a Siemens-specific solution and is specifically necessary forthe interworking of H.323 users with PSTN users and is not at allnecessary for a purely H.323 solution.

The following should be noted in respect of the basic sequence describedabove. The invention is not solely restricted to the transmission ofHTML pages. In principle the transmission of information in any form ispossible but the use of a markup language such as HTML, XML, etc. ofcourse lends itself especially to the invention.

The partner GEG essentially comprises a client GCL for setting up andestablishing a call connection. In the simplest instance—as shown inFIG. 1—it is a VoIP terminal, for example an internet telephone or acorrespondingly set up computer. In principle however it is alsopossible for it to be a conventional telephone terminal, as describedbelow with reference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 again shows a telecommunications terminal TKA as discussed above,which is linked to a network IPN, such as the internet.

As shown in FIG. 1 the push server PSE can be configured separately fromthe partner GEG and can be connected to the network IPN or anothercommunications network, which is connected to the network IPN. In thiscase the client GCL must be set up, for example on receipt of thesignaling to establish a call from a terminal TKA, to prompt the serverPSE by means of corresponding control signals to send correspondinginformation to the terminal TKA establishing the call, for example inthe form of HTML pages, so that these can be displayed there.

FIG. 3 shows the case where the terminal TKA is again a VoIP device,which is linked to a corresponding network IPN and which for examplecontrols the signaling via H.323 or SIP, but the called terminal GEG iseither a conventional analog terminal GEG or a terminal, which uses adifferent signaling from the calling terminal TKA. According to FIG. 3the terminal GEG is thereby linked to a telecommunications network NET.

It is also possible to establish a connection between the terminals TKAand GEG in such cases. Conversion between the different protocols, e.g.from H.225 signaling to PSTN signaling or H.323 signaling to SIPprotocol then takes place via a gateway GWA. The stages (6), (7) and (8)according to FIG. 3 could then not take place as shown on the samemedium, as the information to be displayed has in any case to betransmitted directly via a data network and not via the PSTN network NETand the language has to be converted from RTP via an appropriate gatewayfrom/into digital coding of the PSTN.

As can also be seen from FIG. 3—except where the partner GEG is ananalog telephone—the partner GEG can, as discussed briefly above,comprise a call client GCL and a push server PSE, which will howevergenerally only be the case, when the terminal GEG is a computer or acomputer unit or for example a call center; in such cases the partnerGEG or its call client GCL is generally also able to executepacket-oriented and connectionless voice communications, for example viaVoIP.

With such terminals the push server PSE′ can also be configuredseparately from the device GEG and the push server PSE′ is prompted bythe terminal GEG or the call client GCL to transmit correspondinginformation to the calling terminal TKA.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary, schematic representation of an HTML page MLP,as transmitted from the terminal GEG or a push server PSE, PSE′ to acalling terminal TKA. The page MLP for example contains links LSER:P1,LSER:P2, LSER:P3, i.e. references perhaps to specific internet pages P1,P2, P3, which are stored on one or a plurality of other servers SER.Such links can also refer to pages on the (correspondingly configured)terminal GEG or the push server PSE, PSE′. The links can of course alsobe configured so that a call connection is established to anotherterminal GEG′, GEG″ (links LGEG′, LGEG″) or perhaps when the firstcalled partner GEG is for example a private branch exchange or a callcenter, to an extension of the partner GEG (links LGEG:1, LGEG:2).

The HTML page MLP can of course alternatively or additionally alsocontain other information such as images JPG1, JPG2, text DOC1, DOC2,etc. This information can be transmitted from the push server to thecalling telecommunications terminal TKA either after the signaling stepfor establishing a connection or before a connection is actuallyestablished. This is primarily of interest and significance when aconnection is only made based on transmitted information by acorresponding selection. Transmission can however also (still) takeplace after a call has been established, for example in this wayadditional information about a discussed topic or object can betransmitted to the caller.

1-28. (canceled)
 29. A method for displaying data on atelecommunications terminal, wherein the telecommunications terminal isused to establish a voice connection with a partner via a communicationsnetwork at least over certain routes, using packet-oriented,connectionless data transmission, wherein after a signaling step forestablishing a connection from the telecommunications terminal to thepartner, information is received and evaluated by the telecommunicationsterminal and data, which is assigned to the information, is output usingat least one display element, wherein the information is transmittedfrom the partner via the communications network to thetelecommunications terminal or the transmission of the information tothe telecommunications terminal is initiated by the partner, and whereinthe data assigned to the information is loaded onto thetelecommunications terminal as a direct consequence of the signalingstep for establishing a connection:
 30. A method according to claim 29,wherein the information is transmitted directly after the signaling stepfor establishing a connection and before a connection is established.31. A method according to claim 29, wherein the information istransmitted after a connection has been established.
 32. A methodaccording to claim 29, wherein the information contains at least thedata to be displayed.
 33. A method according to claim 29, wherein theinformation comprises a reference to a data server, from which the datacan be transmitted to the telecommunications terminal.
 34. A methodaccording to claim 29, wherein the information is sent directly from thepartner to the telecommunications terminal.
 35. A method according toclaim 29, wherein the partner prompts a data server associated with itto transmit the information to the telecommunications terminal.
 36. Amethod according to claim 29, wherein a connection is established fromthe calling telecommunications terminal to the data server or thepartner with a display element and the information is transmitted to thetelecommunications terminal and displayed on it via the connection. 37.A method according to claim 36, wherein an HTML browser is used as thedisplay element.
 38. A method according to claim 29, wherein the data isavailable in the form of at least one file created using a markuplanguage.
 39. A method according to claim 29, wherein in the context ofestablishing a connection, call control messages are exchanged betweenthe telecommunications terminal and the partner, and wherein the callcontrol messages are used: a) in some instances on thetelecommunications terminal to start the display element for displayingdata, b) to initiate establishment of a connection to the data server orthe partner, and c) to keep open the data connection from the dataserver or the partner for the purpose of data transmission from the dataserver to the telecommunications terminal.
 40. A method according toclaim 29, wherein H.323 signaling is used to establish a connection. 41.A method according to claim 39, wherein in the context of the callcontrol messages, a capability set is agreed between thetelecommunications terminal and the partner, and wherein the capabilityset is extended to include an HTML capability.
 42. A method according toclaim 29, wherein SIP signaling is used to establish a connection.
 43. Amethod for displaying data on a telecommunications terminal, comprising:establishing a voice connection with a partner via a communicationsnetwork by the telecommunications terminal; transmitting informationfrom the partner via the communications network to thetelecommunications terminal or initiating the transmission of theinformation to the telecommunications terminal by the partner; receivingand evaluating information by the telecommunications terminal; andoutputting data assigned to the information on a display element,wherein the data assigned to the information is loaded onto thetelecommunications terminal as a direct consequence of a signaling stepfor establishing the voice connection.
 44. A method according to claim43, wherein the voice connection is established at least over certainroutes, using packet-oriented, connectionless data transmission.
 45. Asystem for displaying data on a telecommunications terminal, comprising:a telecommunications terminal adapted to establish a voice connectionwith a partner via a communications network at least over certainroutes, using packet-oriented, connectionless data transmission, whereinthe telecommunications terminal is adapted to receive and evaluateinformation and display data assigned to the information optionallyusing at least one display element; and a partner adapted to sendinformation relating to the data to be displayed to thetelecommunications terminal via the communications network or adapted toinitiate the transmission of the information as a direct consequence ofa signaling step for establishing the voice connection, wherein thetelecommunications terminal is adapted to load the data assigned to theinformation as a direct consequence of the signaling step forestablishing the voice connection.
 46. A system according to claim 45,wherein the system is adapted to transmit the information directly afterthe signaling step for establishing a connection and before a connectionis established.
 47. A system according to claim 45, wherein the systemis adapted to transmit the information after a connection has beenestablished.
 48. A system according to claim 45, wherein the informationcomprises at least the data to be displayed.
 49. A system according toclaim 45, wherein the information contains a reference to a data server,from which the data can be transmitted to the telecommunicationsterminal.
 50. A system according to claim 45, wherein the partner isadapted to send the information directly to the telecommunicationsterminal.
 51. A system according to claim 45, wherein the partner isadapted to prompt a data server associated with it to transmit theinformation to the telecommunications terminal.
 52. A system accordingto claim 45, wherein the telecommunications terminal is adapted toestablish a connection with a display element to the data server or tothe partner and the data server or the partner are adapted to transmitthe information to the telecommunications terminal via the connection.53. A system according to claim 52, wherein an HTML browser is used asthe display element.
 54. A system according to claim 45, wherein thedata is available in the form of at least one file created using amarkup language.
 55. A system according to claim 45, wherein thetelecommunications terminal and the partner are adapted to exchange callcontrol messages in the context of establishing a connection, andwherein the call control messages are used: a) in some instances on thetelecommunications terminal to start the display element, b) to initiateestablishment of a connection to the data server or the partner and c)to keep open the data connection from the data server or the partner forthe purpose of data transmission from the data server to thetelecommunications terminal.
 56. A system according to claim 45, whereinH.323 signaling is used to establish a connection.
 57. A systemaccording to claim 55, wherein in the context of the call controlmessages, a capability set is agreed between the telecommunicationsterminal and the partner, whereby the capability set is extended toinclude an HTML capability.
 58. A system according to claim 45, whereinSIP signaling is used to establish a connection.
 59. Atelecommunications terminal, wherein the telecommunications terminal isadapted to establish a voice connection with a partner via acommunications network at least over certain routes, usingpacket-oriented, connectionless data transmission, wherein thetelecommunications terminal is adapted to receive and evaluateinformation and display data assigned to the information optionallyusing at least one display element; and wherein the telecommunicationsterminal is adapted to load data assigned to the information as a directconsequence of a signaling step for establishing the voice connection.